Lyoko Wars: The Struggle
by Peace Keeper 2014
Summary: A war that had started when Lyoko was first created. The Lyoko Defense Force and XANA duke it out as a squad of 4 LDF soldiers protect Aelita and try to destroy a superweapon created by XANA. Experience a conflict that has taken Lyoko by storm!
1. Part 2

The fictional world, Lyoko, had been created by Franz Hopper for a mysterious reason. The world was based on the Earth's ecosystem. XANA, a program of some sort, had been there to protect it. After escaping into Lyoko, XANA betrayed his creator and his daughter and continued to search and destroy them. But, Franz Hopper created the Lyoko Defense Force Program, or LDFP, to defend Lyoko if anything were to happen. These programs are based off of official human intelligence and personalities, each of almost hundreds and hundreds of programs diverse.

XANA plans to wipe Lyoko clean and take it for himself for a stepping stone in his plans to conquer Earth. But, the LDFP had prepared for war.

This had begun the First Lyoko War...

Prologue  
Digital Sea- Shipyard Watson  
Lyoko Defense Force Territory  
1 Day Before The War

In the Digital Sea, the LDF had established a base on the coast, which they had used for all purposes. The LDFN, or Lyoko Defense Force Navy had been shipping out ships and had been getting ships back as fast as they send them out. Out in the sea, over the horizon, a destroyer sat. The grey destroyer ship had been sitting there for almost thirty minutes. The calm, water seemed still as the wind began to blow lightly upon both the ship and the base. Two guards in the base's front gate sat on a bench along a concrete wall. They had bags under their eyes and their uniforms were untidy and unbuttoned, their pants were sagging onto the floor as their unstraped metal helmets covered their thick, black hair.

"Man, this job sucks." one of the guards said. The other guard rubbed his eyes and faced the other.

"Me too." he said. "We've been out here for hours." Then, a large green APC pulled up to the front gate, the head lights blinding the two guards.

"Whoa." one of the guards exclaimed as he covered his eyes. "Never seen one of these before." He walked up to the side of the APC, knocking on it. The top hatch opened, a driver popping out of the hatch.

"Identification, please." the guard asked as the driver showed him the orders. The guard grabbed them from the driver, who jumped down to face the guard. The guard's bloodshot eyes followed the words as he read word from word of orders from the LDF. He then shook his head.

"Alright." he said. "You're clear to enter." he said as he raised his hand to signal to open the large, steel gate. The LDF insignia split in half as the thick, steel doors slid open, showing the APC the front entrance of the base. The sun slowly rose high into the sky as the personnel started to awake from their slumber. The APC sped into the base, not stopping for anything.

"We're getting closer, sir." the driver said into his radio.

"Good." a disguised voice replied. "Just remember, do NOT hesitate."

"Got it, sir." the driver replied as he peddled to the metal. He looked over his seat to face a cylinder-like crate in the back compartment. As the APC got closer to one of the Naval pens, four guards stood in front of the entrance and closed the gate. Then, the sergeant of the guard squad grabbed a mega phone and shouted into it.  
"We know who you work for!" the sergeant yelled as helicopters flew over the APC and the squad of guards. Armored marines rushed in to surround the APC as the APC's engines were still running.

"You got ten seconds to surrender or face death!" the sergeant screamed as the marines and guards drew their weapons. The driver's fingers started to tap on the driving stick as he started to sweat. Then, he pressed his foot on the pedal and sped toward the guards. They jumped to the side as the APC busted through the thin, metal door. The APC screeched to a halt as it was about to hit a destroyer docked into the pen.

"The LDS Robinson." the driver said to himself as he grabbed a detonator and primed the bomb. The guards and marines inched closer to the APC as the helicopters hovered over the pen. Then, a beeping noise arose over the air. The marines and guards looked at each other, until they realized the bomb was primed.

"Everybody out now!" the sergeant yelled as the marines and guards sprinted out of the pen. The helicopters above pulled out as the bomb set itself off. The massive fireball consumed the entire Naval pen and made the roof crash over the Robinson. As the roof fell above the destroyer, the destroyer itself blew into metal scrap. The massive mushroom cloud rose high into the sky as the choppers and soldiers watched in horror. Debris rained on the marines and fire engulfed the rubble. The sergeant walked up to the front of the ruins and knelt on his right knee. He placed his forehead on his knee and hushed himself.

"This… means… war." he said as he picked his head up. The destroyer on the horizon approached the coast as helicopters from other LDF bases rushed to the Naval yard. Smoke rose high into the sky as helicopters touched down into the base, dropping off troops and supplies. Then, a man dressed in a highly-decorated military uniform stepped out of his helicopter, taking off his hat and putting it under his arm. He put his shades on and walked up to the sergeant.

"Commander Alex Hopper." the sergeant said as he saluted.

"At ease, Sergeant Major Johnson." he said to the sergeant. "What happened here?" Alex Hopper asked.

"A terrorist passed through security and bombed the Robinson." Johnson explained.

"How did he get passed?" the Commander asked.

"He had official 'orders' from the Defense Force from the mainland." Johnson explained. "It was as if he was on our side. And betrayed us."

"How many casualties?" Hopper asked.

"The crew of the Robinson, sir." Johnson said as he gulped.

"The entire crew?" Hopper asked in reply.

"No, sir." Johnson replied. "But, half of it."

"Johnson, take your marines and lock down the base." Commander Hopper ordered. "And, be on the look out for XANA's forces."

"Yes sir." Johnson saluted. The Commander licked his lips and entered a parked Humvee as the driver stood outside.

"Private." he said. "Take me to Base Bravo."

"Out in the Forest Sector?" the private asked.

"Yes." the Commander replied. "Now hurry. There's no time left."


	2. Part 1 Actual

Chapter 1: Extraction  
Ice Sector- Three Days After Attack and Activation of XANA  
Squad Charlie-One-Four  
Pvt. Jack Hutchinson

The ice cold wind pounded against Jack's face as he held a finally cleaned long rifle with a scope attached. The cold wind chapped his lips and covered his nose with ice and snow as took each step cautiously. Each step was met with the crunch of snow and each breath was met with the sight of mist. Then, he heard the heavy rattling of gear and equipment behind him as he slowly turned. It was Sergeant Byrd. His eyes were that of a clean pool and his lips were the same as Jack's, but instead, his lips were redder than Jack's. The snow white color of his equipment completely concealed the rest of his body except for his snow covered face.

"Alright, Jack." he said in a cracked voice. "Lets get to the vantage. She needs cover." The duo crept to their vantage point, keeping themselves down as they slowly approached the edge. The laid down on their bellies and looked down upon large plot of ice glacier. Jack had set up his bi-pod to the long rifle down onto the snowy and icy ground and loaded the clip of five .30 caliber rounds into the clip feed.

"Alright, there is the target area." Byrd said as he pointed toward the huge plot of glacier. Jack nodded in reply as he looked through the scope.

"Hugh?" Byrd asked through his comm.

"Yeah, Byrd?" Hugh replied through the radio.

"The coast is clear." Byrd advised. "Get her through to the LZ. Me and Jack will provide cover."

"Roger that." Hugh said as he led a pink haired girl out into the open. Hugh paced himself as he protected the girl.

"Jack, what ever you do, do not shoot Aelita." Byrd said. "If you do, we don't know how to tell both Alex and Franz Hopper."

"I gotcha." Jack replied as he concentrated on observing and protecting both Hugh and Aelita. Then, a beeping sound rang on Jack's wrist radar and looked through the scope again.

"I got contact!" Jack said through the radio to Hugh.

"What do you got?" Hugh asked in reply.

"Three small Kankrelats." Jack replied.

"Alright, keep me and the girl covered." Hugh replied. "Chopper ETA, three minutes."

"Copy that." Jack replied as he got a Kankrelat in his sights. Jack pulled the trigger and placed the shot in the middle of the eye, sending it flying backwards and causing it to explode. He placed the sights on the second one. He pulled the trigger and skinned the side of the small robot. He took another shot and the bullet whizzed in the air, hitting its target dead center and knocking it out of action. Then, he turned to the third one and fired his last two rounds at the robot. Both shots skinned it and it kept crawling toward the duo. It then charged its laser and prepared to fire.

"Hugh!" Jack yelled over the radio. "BEHIND YOU!" Hugh pushed Aelita away and turned around, turning his heavy machine gun toward the Kankrelat and opening fire. His burst ripped through the small robot as the laser gun fired, barely missing Hugh's face. Hugh fell to the floor and Aelita helped him up as the chopper slowly appeared in the air.

"Chopper's here, Jack." Byrd advised. "Lets catch up with the others." Jack picked up his rifle and rushed to the chopper with Byrd. They slid down a slope that led toward the ground and smoothly slid. They picked themselves up after the slide and they quickly boarded the chopper.

"You alright, Hugh?" Byrd asked as him and Jack boarded.

"Yeah, I'm alright." Hugh replied. "The girl's alright, too."

"That's good." Byrd replied.

"By the way, where's Jones?" Byrd asked as he stretched his legs.

"He's right here." Hugh said as he moved away. Jones was leaning against the helicopter door, staring out at the plot of land and the immense tower that stared down at the ground.

"Hey, sarge." Jones said. "How'd it go?"

"It was alright." Byrd replied. "Could have been a little harder."

"Anyways, you alright Ms. Hopper?" Byrd asked the girl. She scratched her head.

"Yeah, I'm fine." she replied.

"Alright." Byrd said as he sat himself down next to Jack on the chopper chairs. "Pilot, takes back to base." The chopper pilot nodded in reply and the chopper lifted itself up in the air, soaring through the cold, stiff air. Jack looked outside the window and sighed and then looked back at Aelita.

'This is gonna be one heck of a war,' Jack thought.

Chapter 2: Orders Received  
Coast Sector- Fifty Minutes After Rescue  
Squad Charlie-One-Four  
Pvt. Jack Hutchinson

The sun rise off into the horizon stared out into the green coastline as waves of blue crashed into the cliffs that rose above. What laid on the cliffs was a small base camp constructed by the LDF, which housed Alex Hopper himself, commander of the LDF Navy and also the LDF military. The chopper that flew from the Ice Sector arrived in the Coast Sector almost forty-minutes ago, the chopper now sitting in the bright sun light. For almost ten minutes, however, the squad had been waiting for their orders. Aelita was waiting with them. Jack threw a small red ball at the walls of the barracks as they waited for orders.

"How long does it take to receive orders from Waldo?" Byrd asked, yawning.

"Well, remember, he doesn't stay in one place." Aelita replied. "After all, he's constantly moving."

"You got a point." Byrd replied. Then, a soldier barged through the steel door, his face as stiff as a rock.

"Charlie-One-Four?" the soldier asked.

"Yeah, that's us." Byrd replied.

"You guys and Aelita need to see the Commander right away." The squad and Aelita rushed over to the Commander's office, the escort soldier holding the door for the five of them and letting them in. The Commander stressed himself leaning towards a wooden table, observing maps and reports from yesterday and today.

"You wanted to see us, sir?" Sergeant Jerry Byrd asked.

"Yes, I did." Alex replied. "The mission you've just completed was clean and fast."

"Thank you sir." Byrd replied.

"But, there's one problem." Alex interrupted.

"What was it, sir?" Byrd asked in confusion.

"Well, since XANA discovered your presence in the Ice Sector, you've made him take desperate measures." Alex explained. "Just recently, we lost Command Post Alpha in the Forest Sector."

"WE WHAT?" Byrd shouted.

"Calm down, sergeant." Alex said to a stressed Byrd. "I've got new orders from Waldo himself." Byrd took a deep breath and looked at Alex straight in the eyes.

"What are they, sir?"

"Waldo's got a hint from ANAX that XANA is constructing some sort of weapon here in Lyoko." Alex said. "If he completes it, we're all doomed, including Waldo and everyone else."

"So, what do we do with Aelita?" Byrd asked.

"Well, you're gonna take her with you." Byrd's eyes widened.

"Where are we going?" Byrd asked.

"First, you'll be dropped off in the Forest Sector where we got a tip that XANA is setting up a base." Alex explained. "From official ANAX and Reconnaissance reports, they suggest that he's building one of the major construction sites for the parts of this weapon."

"So, we're going on a weapon hunt?" Hugh asked.

"Yes." Alex replied. Then, Aelita stepped in front of Byrd and sighed.

"Why can't I see my father again?" she asked as Alex took off his Commander's cap.

"Because, XANA's hot on his tail." Alex replied. "Plus, I know what he's doing. He's my brother, after all."

"Wait, I thought you were supposed to be in the Forest Sector." Byrd stated.

"Well, since Recon and ANAX sent these reports, they changed me to be stationed here in the Coast Sector."

"Ah, I see." Byrd replied. "When do we leave?" Byrd asked.

"You leave at exactly noon." Alex said. The group walked out as Alex prepared.

"Sergeant?" Alex asked as Byrd stopped in front of the door.

"Yes sir?" Byrd asked I reply.

"Good luck on your mission and keep my niece safe." Alex said.

"I will sir." Byrd said.

"God speed." Alex said as Byrd closed the door behind him, leaving Alex to organizing his intelligence from ANAX and LDF Recon.

Chapter 3: Bad Company  
Forest Sector- Fifteen Minutes After Receiving Orders  
Squad Charlie-One-Four  
Pvt. Jack Hutchinson

After receiving orders from Alex, the squad and Aelita boarded their chopper again, this time on a mission to get intelligence on the parts and to destroy the factory building it. Over the large forest, the chopper flew and hovered. There were land bridges all over and there were large portions of grass land in between. The sun shined brightly over the land and reflected off of the helicopter.

"Pilot, what's our ETA?" Sergeant Byrd asked. The pilot turned his left cheek to the sky.

"ETA, one minute." the pilot replied. Then, as he turned to face the horizon again, a Hornet was about to smash into the front of the chopper.

"HORNET!" Byrd yelled as the chopper pilot pulled on the stick, avoiding the Hornet. The rotor blades hit the Hornet and caused it to explode as it fell into the forest.

"Close call, pilot." Byrd said as he patted his shoulder.

"Alright, we're here." the pilot said as he lowered the copter.

"Thanks, uh…"

"It's Jonathan." the pilot replied. "Jonathan Hunt." Jonathan picked up his radio and radioed in the status of the squad.

"Base, this is 'Blade Runner', dropping off the cargo." he said as he landed the chopper. Jack opened the doors and jumped onto the grass ground and the others followed outside. Aelita stepped outside and looked around her as the pilot lifted the chopper into the air.

"Good luck, Blade Runner." Byrd said into his radio.

"Thanks." Jonathan replied. "I'll pick you up when ready." The chopper disappeared into the horizon as it landed into a secluded area.

"Alright, lets move quietly." Byrd ordered as the squad followed him into enemy territory. The soft rattling of equipment soon filled the ear drums of Aelita and made her hide behind Jack, who decided to volunteer to keep her safe. Then, Byrd stopped and ordered the others to do so behind a knocked over tree.

"Guys, look." Byrd said as they looked over the tree. Three Krabs could be seen walking slowly from the factory as four Kankrelats crawled around it, safe guarding the steel structure. Electric wiring rooted itself around the solid structure and red volts of electricity ran through them. There were six wire roots that dug under the structure.

"There it is." Byrd said. "That's the structure."

"Why is XANA building it here?" Aelita asked.

"We're here to find out, aren't we?" Byrd replied.

"Well, we got to find out how to get in there first with out alerting those guards." Then, everybody turned to Jack, who was still staring at the warehouse. Then, he turned toward the group, confused.

"What?" he asked in reply as was still confused. "This again?"

"Yeah." Byrd said. "Again. Just like in the Ice Sector." Jack rolled his eyes and took out his rifle.

"Alright, fine." Jack replied. "What do you want me to do?"

"Destroy some of the guards so that we all can sneak into there and get our intel and destroy it." Byrd explained.

"Okay, I'll do it." Jack said as he placed his rifle into position with the bipod. He loaded the rifle with .30 caliber rounds, like last time and aimed down the scope.

"Alright, we'll catch the attention of the two guards." Hugh said through the radio.

"Okay, get them into range." Jack said. Jack saw Hugh run across his scope as two Kankrelats chased after Hugh, distracting only half of the guards. Jack quickly popped two rounds down the field, knocking out both robots within three seconds. Then, he averted his attention to the other two, quickly tapping the trigger with one round for each. Then, as he lowered his rifle, the two robots exploded and scattered their robotic parts across the ground.

"Nice work, Jack." Jones said. "You should have been a sniper." Jack smiled.

"Alright, guys lets go before more show up and discover that their buddies were disassembled." Hugh said as he rejoined the group inside of the factory. The group stood astonished at the factory's interior. High tech wires were everywhere and robotic arms assembled parts for the weapon. The electric wiring was attached to huge computers and systems and everything in the factory was assembling the parts. Sparks flew as parts joined together.

"Wow, where are we going to find the main computer?" Aelita asked, amazed.

"Well, we'll rip this place apart to find it." Byrd said.

"Or, we follow the signs that say 'To mainframe'." Hugh said as he pointed across the main floor to a sign that read 'Mainframe'. Byrd face palmed himself and the group sprinted for the mainframe. They ran through the stairs and reached the mainframe, which was in an overview of the entire factory. Then, as they breached the door, Aelita observed the mainframe. It wasn't just one computer. It was almost a dozen computers attached to one gigantic mainframe.

"Oh… my… God." Hugh said as his jaw dropped. Byrd shook his head and then focused back on the mission.

"Aelita, work on the mainframe while Jack keeps you company." Byrd ordered. "We'll set explosives and take intelligence samples from here." The two nodded and went to work. Jack looked outside the window, noticing Jones, Hugh, and Byrd arming the explosives and attempting to hack the computers that were wired to the machines assembling the parts.

"So, Aelita, you need help?" Jack asked.

"No thank you, Jack." she replied. "But thanks."

"Alright." Then, Aelita turned to face Jack, looking at him straight in the eyes.

"Thank you for saving my life, though." she said as Jonas smiled.

"Well, thank you." Jack replied. Then, Aelita went back to work, hacking the mainframe computer.

"Done!" she said as she gave the chip to Jack.

"What's this?"

"It's the data chip." Aelita said.

"Alright, I'll radio in the news." Jack replied. Jack got on the radio and told them the news.

"Head down here quickly, guys." Byrd requested. "We need to get to the LZ fast!"

"Why?" Jack asked.

"Because, XANA's forces are converging on us fast!" Byrd panicked. Jack grabbed Aelita and rushed her downstairs, where laser fire met the squad. Hugh, Jones, and Byrd took cover behind an assembly machine, holding the detonator to the C4 bombs placed on the machines and the wiring.

"Where do we go now?" Hugh asked.

"We make a hole!" Jones replied. He grabbed a small explosive and taped it to the wall. He then armed it and told the others to get to the other side for cover. As they took cover, Jones pulled the trigger and the explosive was set off, tossing chunks of steel into the air both in and out of the factory.

"Alright, lets go!" Byrd said, assembling the squad. Everybody fell in behind Byrd and rushed out of the factory, which was now filled with XANA's monsters. Then, the squad dove behind their old fallen tree and waited for every single monster to enter, including the Krabs. As they entered, Byrd grabbed the trigger and prepared to pull it.

"This is for you." he said, pulling the trigger. A huge fireball lifted into the air and a shockwave of smoke filled the air. Metal flew everywhere and scattered all across the entire forest. Nothing was left. Behind the squad and Aelita was the helicopter, waiting for them to jump in.

"C'mon in, guys!" Jonathan said as he prepped for take-off.

"So, how was it?" Jonathan yelled over the noise.

"It was fun!" Jones said as he fist pumped.

"Just get us outta here!" Byrd demanded.

"You got it boss!" Jonathan said, lifting the helicopter into the air above the green lush forest.


	3. Part 2 Actual

Chapter 4: Data Analysis  
Forty Minutes After Mission  
Charlie-One-Four  
Pvt. Jack Hutchinson

The squad walked into the office of Alex Hopper, who waited at his desk, writing on his personal note pad. The squad walked in and stood at attention, with Jack and Aelita in front with the data chip they received from the factory they raided.

"At ease." Alex said as he got up from his seat, reaching for the data chip. He inserted the chip into the scanner in his personal computer and waited for analysis. Then, the computer stopped, showing lists of parts and data from the specific factory.

"What you've recovered was a huge piece of intelligence." Alex said as he looked back at the squad.

"Really?" Jack asked.

"Yes. This data contains only one part of a schematic." Alex replied. "But, a BIG part of it."

"What do you mean?" Byrd asked in curiosity.

"Well, these parts were supposed to be put together and were supposed to combine into one huge base for the weapon." Alex explained. "You see, these parts were to make a solid base and power supply for the weapon. Well, it was supposed to do that, before you guys blew it up."

"You mean, this weapon's main power base is gone?" Hugh asked.

"Well, not entirely." Alex replied as expanded the part of the schematic. Hugh adjusted his glasses and looked closely at the image.

"Oh my God." Hugh said as he backed away from the computer. "It's not just a power supply."

"But, a defensive attachment." Alex finished.

"So, since we destroyed one of their factories, we still need to destroy all of them."

Chapter 5: Retaking Anthea  
Urban Sector- Fifteen Minutes After  
Squad Charlie-One-Four  
Pvt. Jack Hutchinson

Over the urban centers that was created, the helicopter slowly soar. The bright sun engulfed the sea of structures in sunlight and clouds scattered themselves across the blue sky. Below them were empty streets of pavement and fine strings of clean clothing that was hanging above the deserted streets.

"So, who created the Urban Sector?" Byrd asked the pilot.

"It was constructed by Waldo, who needed to train the LDF for combat and also used these for home sickness." Jonathan explained.

"So, it was to comfort Aelita and Waldo?" Byrd asked. The pilot nodded in reply.

"Alright, here we go." Jonathan said as he lowered the chopper. Through the window, Jack saw an entire military complex that was constructed by the LDF. But, it laid in ruins. Walls were covered in scorch marks and every half mile or so had a gapping hole through it. Destroyed turrets and vehicles scattered through out the streets of the complex, raging fires engulfing entire vehicles. It was a ghost town.

"Alright, guys, listen." Byrd said as the chopper landed. "We'll have to make a move for the armory and then if they took everything, the least we can do is stop them from leaving and blowing half of the Defense Grid into pieces of burnt crap." Everybody nodded and jumped onto the helipad below. After everybody unloaded, the chopper left and headed for the horizon to hide from the enemy.

"Alright, everybody, head inside." Byrd said. The group rushed for the door, kicking it in and slowly moving in. Each step they took was met with a cautious, but nervous feeling. The empty hallways turned Jack's stomach and every corner messed with his morale. The squad slowly approached the armory door, after inspecting both the Barracks and the Security Check-Point. Byrd, slowly opened the door, poking his rifle through the crack as the door opened even more. Then, the door was wide open. Byrd rushed through and the rest followed, securing the room. Everything was still inside. Every plan, every gun, every ammo type, everything.

"Looks like they skipped this part of their evil plot." Hugh said, looking at the rows of plans and guns.

"But that leaves them at arming…." Byrd's jaw dropped. He turned back to the squad quickly and looked at them.

"The bombs." Byrd said.

"Their arming them!" Hugh said. The rest followed Byrd and Hugh through the halls as they rushed. They knew where the bombs were. They were in the Missile Silos and Defense Grid Control Network. After rushing through hall after hall and room after room, they finally reached the blast door that led to those rooms. It was wide open. Hugh pulled Byrd away from the door as he heard voices.

"Shhh…" Hugh said, pulling him to the side. "They're setting the explosives up." Then, they listened closely to the two conversations between the possessed LDF soldiers.

"Can't you believe all of this explosives?" one of them said.

"Yeah, but, it's so simple to de-activate them." the other replied.

"I mean, I could just take the cover right off and enter the disarm code for all of them and be done." Byrd smiled at the stupidity that these two possessed soldiers showed. The grip laughed silently at that stupidity as well, thinking of cruel jokes and well built comebacks.

"Alright, take 'em out and we'll disarm the bombs." Byrd said, popping out of the shadows and gunning down the troopers. The gunfire ripped through the duo as they dropped their weapons and instruction data pads down onto the concrete floor. Then, the group rushed up to the two soldiers and searched them clean for the Universal Disarm Codes.

"Found 'em!" Hugh shouted, holding up the codes. Each bomb had its own disarm code. Aelita yanked off the cover and threw the cover away, looking at the keypad.

"What's the code?" she asked.

"The code's two, four, five, nine, eight, one, two." Hugh said as Aelita typed it in the key. The light on the bomb turned green and the squad detached it from the wall, setting inside Hugh's pack.

"Don't lose those codes." Byrd ordered. Hugh nodded and the squad went for the other bombs, successfully disarming the second to last one.

"Now, where's the last bomb?" Byrd asked, the group shrugging their shoulders. Then, they heard the beeping of the last bomb. They saw it attached to the Nuclear Arms Bunker Depot and panicked.

"Don't panic, we have the codes." Byrd said. Then, he frowned. "Do we have the codes?" Hugh started to crack and panic.

"Don't tell me that you lost it."

"Okay, I lost it." Hugh admitted. The entire group face palmed themselves and tried to think of a way to get rid of the deadly bomb. Then, they saw Jack, riding a forklift and dragging the bomb with him. The bomb was, unfortunately, strapped to a missile that was used for SAM sites and was filled with explosives.

"Jack, what are you doing?" Byrd shouted. "XANA's forces are outside that door!"

"That's the point!" Jack shouted back, flooring the pedal. The forklift continued to drive out of the bunker, with the timer showing about one minute left until detonation. As he left the bunker, sunlight blinded him temporarily and the sight of three Krabs, four Megatanks, and eight Kankrelats surprised him. They started to fire at him, but every shot missed. Red laser lights zoomed passed Jack's face and body as the sound of explosions and enemy fire deafened his hearing. As he got closer, the timer turned to thirty seconds. Jack jumped out from the forklift, rolling onto the ground. Then, he started to sprint away from the enemy, dodging laser fire and explosions. He then dove for the door, landing on his face and crawling for the wall next to the entrance. He peeked around the corner, noticing that XANA's boys have stopped shooting.

"What are you thinking?" Byrd said. Jack smiled and held a thumbs up. As he continued to watch, the monsters gathered around the forklift, staring at the timer. The bomb's timer then stopped at 0. The monsters stilled stared at the bomb. Then, a bright light and a thunderous noise made the group jump and dove behind cover. Smoke rushed into the bay room and temporarily blinded them until they went outside.

"Wow, Jack." Byrd said, "You just made a bigger explosion than Jones ever will." Jack smiled.

"Well, I don't know about that but… okay." Jack said, smiling. The group high-fived each other and fist-bumped him.

"Jonathan, this is Byrd, we're ready for pick up."

"Sorry, no can do." Jonathan said in a panicked manner.

"What do you mean, you can't?" Byrd reacted.

"I'm under fire and I can't move to your position!" he replied. The group shrugged their shoulders.

"Alright, we'll find our own way out. Over?"

"Copy that, Byrd." Jonathan replied. Byrd looked at the group and then went back inside the base. Everybody else followed, making sure that the area was clear and checking for any signs of resistance. The squad was left behind by the rest of the LDF, who was fighting a losing war.

Chapter 6: Linking Up  
Urban Sector- Sixteen Minutes After  
Squad Charlie-One-Four  
Pvt. Jack Hutchinson

Jack stood in the middle of the bridge, facing the wreckage that scattered itself all over the ground. The scorch marks from the explosion were still fresh, the smell of smoke filling Jack's nostrils. He wiped his face as he kicked around metal that was in front of him. Then, Byrd tapped him in on the shoulder, catching his attention.

"Hey, Jack." Byrd said. "We finally got ourselves a ride."

"What is it?"

"It's a Humvee." Byrd replied. "Now, c'mon before XANA catches here. I don't want to be caught off guard." Jack nodded and waited for the Humvee to pull up front. As he kept his eye on the road ahead, he heard the engines roar. The Humvee slowly drove up in front of Jack, crunching the remains of XANA's monsters slowly as it grew to a slow halt.

"Alright, get in." Byrd said. Jack sat in the back seat of the Humvee, next to Aelita and Hugh. Hugh wiped his glasses as Jack got comfortable in his seat and Aelita sat up straight.

"Alright, here we go." Byrd said, stepping on the pedal. The Humvee sped down the street and zoomed past the city buildings, almost covering an entire block at the speed. The blue sky above reminded Aelita of the real world, but the war did not. Jack looked at her as the Humvee continued to speed down the street with caution, passing through wreckage of both XANA and LDF vehicles.

"So, how's everything?" Jack asked Aelita.

"Everything is fine." Aelita replied.

"That's good." Jack said. "Do you miss your father?" Aelita nodded in response as she looked at Jack in the eyes.

"Don't worry." Jack replied. "You'll get the chance to see him again. I promise." Aelita smiled as Hugh stared at the two.

"So, how long is the ride gonna take?" Hugh asked. Byrd kept his eyes on the road as he answered Hugh's question.

"It's gonna take a few. Maybe about twenty or thirty minutes." Byrd replied.  
"Oh, alright." Hugh replied. Then, the sound of fluttering soon filled their ear drums as the Humvee still zoomed down the streets of the Urban Sector. The group was confused as they kept hearing the noise.

"What the heck is that noise?" Byrd asked. Jones shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, Jack, check that noise, will ya?" Byrd asked, driving.

"Sure thing." Jack said, slowly approaching the turret position. He crouched down and then stood straight, his torso going through the turret hole. He looked behind them and then noticed that four Hornets were following them.

"Hey, we got company!" Jack yelled down, rotating the 50. Caliber machine gun to face the pursuing Hornets. He cocked the gun and aimed down the sight, firing at the group of Hornets. The 50. Caliber started to rip through two of the Hornets, ripping the very wings off of the Hornet's main body. The main Hornet in front curved left and flew into another Hornet, causing it to fly into a building to the right. The Hornet fell through the window and crashed into the building, exploding. Metal and shards of glass was tossed into the air as there was only two Hornets left.

"How's it going up there?" Byrd asked.

"Ah, it's going great." Jack said as laser tracers flew by him, hitting the metal of the Humvee. The lasers zoomed passed him as the Humvee swerved side to side to avoid critical hits that may be made on the Humvee. Jack held down the trigger on the 50. Cal as tracers of red lasers and gold bullets were being exchanged. The heavy sound of the 50. Caliber partially silenced the heavy sounds of the lasers firing at Jack. Brass shells were tossed off the gun and off the Humvee as the gun moved back and forth. Then, as the battle went on, more bullets ripped through the two Hornets, tearing them to shreds. The Humvee stopped where it was , now facing a very small force of LDF soldiers left over from Anthea.

"What are you guys doing here?" Byrd said, getting out of the Humvee to meet the small group of soldiers. Their uniforms were ragged and loose and their armor was scratched and scorched from battle. Their helmets were unstraped and some of them had bandages wrapped around their legs and arms and even the top of their heads. Their faces were dirty and had dust from the falling buildings.

"We're left over from Antea." one of the soldiers said. "We're all that's left of the patrol for this sector." Byrd wiped his face with his collar.

"So, what do we do now?" Hugh asked.

"Lets get inside our hideout." the soldier said. "XANA could be back with reinforcements. And, take the 50. Cal ammo with us." Byrd nodded and took the ammo from the 50. Caliber and took it with them inside. They walked across the war torn street, going through wreckage that was from XANA's forces. Long Krab legs laid on top of each other, outer shells for Mega Tanks were cracked open like an egg and separated, the wings of Hornets and Super Hornets littered the concrete streets, and Kankrelat metal shards scattered themselves all over the street. The soldiers leading the squad of five into their hideout opened the double doors that led inside the skyscraper. The building was missing the top half and the rest was still intact. What was inside was like a small base. There was a counter where two soldiers sat, manning the ham radio they installed themselves. Some of the windows were shattered and were covered with wooden planks to hide themselves from the light. Boxes of all kinds of ammo were huddled against the counter and the walls, sitting in wait for the soldiers to take. Weapons were placed on empty shelves to keep them in an easy to reach area and was also very easy to organize. The dust in the room quickly started to land on Hugh's glasses as they looked around them.

"Welcome to our little slice of Heaven." the soldier said. "We got everything we need. W got ammo, we got weapons, we got radios and supplies, and we got kits of all kinds, medical and mechanical and also, radio kits." Byrd was impressed.

"Nice to see someone who likes to keep things simple." Byrd said. "Are there anymore of you?"

"Yes. Three more guys are upstairs." the soldier replied.

"So, there's just you, these five guys from outside, two guys manning the radio, and three more upstairs?" Byrd asked.

"You bet ya." the soldier said. "Plus you guys, we got enough man power."

"So, do you have any info on extraction birds?" Byrd asked.

"I'm afraid not." the soldier replied. "But, we do have our own plan taking place tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah, tomorrow." the soldier said. "It took us a day or two to think of an emergency plan. But, we have it set and all we need to do is double check and get the tunnel lights set."

"Tunnels?"

"Yup." the soldier said, rubbing his eyes. "There's an old system of utility tunnels that run through out the area, including Anthea. We're going to take that tunnel system and use it as an escape plan."

"How long is that tunnel system?" Jack asked.

"It's very long. It runs from the outskirts, where the maintenance buildings are, to the entire base of Anthea." The group nodded and agreed to participate in the soldier's plan.

"We're in." Byrd said to the soldier. "By the way, I did not catch your name."

"The name's Steve. Corporal Steve Ward." the soldier said.


End file.
